I brought up the strength training issue in the last paragraph or so in mistake #2. Women don't do enough strength training. You may have heard strength training called resistance training also. Resistance training is important for everyone to build muscle, lose fat and burn more calories. But most importantly as you age, you start to lose your muscle and you need to offset some of that loss by building muscle and the only way you can do that is by strength or resistance training.
After we get around the age 35 or so, women start to lose their lean muscle mass. How many women do you see that have those skinny, petite arms but very little muscle in them? Yes they do look feminine, but they may also have issues carrying themselves as they get even older. Our bones weigh a lot and if we don't have the stability of strong joints, we will not be able to lift ourselves up when we need to.
Weight training
is required to maintain or build your lean mass including muscle. Studies show that
the amount of calories you burn is directly proportional to the percentage of
lean mass the body contains. The more muscle you have the more calories you can burn and in less time. If losing weight is your goal, do more strength training and less cardio or better yet, mix it up in the same session so you don't have to spend hours a day working out.
Lifting weights has not been a popular thing to do as a woman in the past, many women are starting to understand it is very important to add strength training into your wellness program. Getting started is the hardest step. Find a professional in your area to help you.
If you need help getting started take a look at my Get Fit 101 for a well rounded balanced program.
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